


The Bot Who Went Through Time

by Commoncoral



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Allspark, Cave-In, Cuddling, Fluff, God Ships Them, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Megatron and Optimus are nerds, Megatronus - Freeform, Memory Loss, Poetry, Reunions, Romance, Time Travel, orion pax - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-08 19:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20840450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Commoncoral/pseuds/Commoncoral
Summary: Optimus noticed how the allspark was glowing unaturally, it opened up a time gate to where he is now trapped in a cave with young Megatron in which he, to his surprise became quick friends with. Inspired off of the animated short by Rinnnoc





	The Bot Who Went Through Time

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to make this fanfic shorter but I lost control and worked on this for weeks now. It's also my first time writing a transformer fanfiction so tell me what you think if you want to! also im not very good with punctuations so forgive me if you see any grammatical errors.
> 
> Check out this short that inspired this if you haven't already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VYPaKIckQI

"And that constellation is called Orion's belt!" Sari explained to the Autobots as they stared at the night sky. They were working on the space bridge all day and decided to camp out on Sumdac's tower.

"What a coincidence, my designation was Orion before they changed it in the academy." Optimus said to Sari.

"I guess some things are constant universally." Prowl inputted.

"Why did they changed your name for? Orion is pretty cool." Sari asked.

"It meant to represent growth, like how Optimus means the best possible. It felt weird to be named that but I got used to it."

The academy always based the name on abilities and function so when Optimus was known to be an exceptional student it was obvious what his new designation was.

"Quit showing off bossbot! I had to get used to bumblebee because Sentinel said I was a bumbler with my aim!"

'_Ouch._' Optimus thought.

"Don't feel bad, bumblebees are considered as a positive symbol on earth!" Sari said to attempt to make him feel better.

After chatting for a while most of the bots and Sari fell asleep except for Optimus, as he awoke after noticing the all spark shard glowing from the chamber it was being held in.

Optimus opened the chamber and held the shard in his hand that still glowed. It suddenly shot up in the air and into the suddenly working space bridge, which woke everybody up.

The space bridge portal opens up a huge black hole that started sucking in things around it. Optimus nearly fell into it but held onto a piece of the bridge.

"Bulkhead, what's going on!?"

"What did you do?! This is an unnatural reaction!" Bulkhead shouted.

"Nothing! The allspark shard suddenly opened this!"

Optimus felt a force grabbing his leg which was dragging him in and with a scream, he fell into that black hole.

"Optimus!" He heard all of his friends shouted.

________

Optimus groaned as his optics turned online, he heard a deep but soft voice speak to him.

"Don't move too much, I'm not much of a medic but I do have some first aid knowledge."

As his vision focuses he sees a familiar giant cybertronian with red optics...

'_MEGATRON_?!'

Optimus face plates went on and he got his axe out in a battle-ready stance.

"Why are you here and where am I!?"

Megatron put his hands out in an uncharacteristic surrendering manner with a concerned face.

"I'm a miner here and we are trapped in a cave in."

As his flight or fight function settled back down Optimus noticed how Megatron looked young and scared even though he was still taller than him. Megatron frame had yellow and black paint job on some parts, no Decepticon badge, and no huge cannon pointing at his helm.

"What-what year is it?"

"What's a year?" Megatron asked.

Oh no, out of all time and places it had to be with Megatron.

"I- never mind. Sorry, I'm just confused."

"Don't worry, I know cave-ins are scary. I'm Megatronus, what's your designation?"

"...Convoy" Optimus is wary of how this might affect the future, so he is trying to be as unaffecting to this timeline as possible. He was stressed between being lost in time and meeting a genuinely nice Megatron.

"Well, I'm unsure if help ever comes when there's a cave in for mechs like me but... what city do you live in?"

"Me? Well-um...Iacon"

"Well, they'll definitely work on getting you out of here. But what is an upper-class mech like you doing here in the mines of Kaon?"

Megatronus face was full of suspicion.

"I...I don't know, I was using a space bridge and all of a sudden I ended up here."

Megatronus looked slightly relieved and confused.

"...Well wait here, I'll harvest some energon for us. It might not be your energon cubes you're used to but you'll have to manage with raw."

His servos turned into a drill and started mining.

Prime had to take a breather to take it all in. Okay, he was stuck in the past with no communication with any of his friends and he was stuck with a future warlord. Also, why was he a miner? His textbooks said he started as a violent gladiator?

'-_Okay Okay get it together prime, you got yourself in this and you can get out-_'

"Are you alright there? You're venting pretty quickly." Megatronus crouched in front of him and started patting his back.

"Its-It's nothing. I'm just...I'm not sure what to do."

"Don't worry, I can get us out of here and I'm sure your friends are searching for you too." He smiled. Prime was surprised by how reassuring Megatronus was. Optimus put his faceplates down and smiled a bit. Megatronus had quite an endearing smile.

"Thanks, I really needed that."

Megatronus went back to drilling and after considering it for a while Optimus joined in, striking boulders in half with his axe. Megatronus stopped his drilling and said

"Why do you help me even though it's not part of your function?"

"I am not another mech burden. I also know a thing or two about clearing rocks."

Megatronus let out a sudden laugh and starting drilling again.

"Not a functionalist! Glad to hear that."

Prime thought back to his history class days in the academy and read how Cybertron used to have a caste system separating all mechs from alt modes.

"_In __Megatron early years he started as a violent gladiator __and__used__ that as a platform__ to cause riots in order to overthrow the government_. _Megatron was sparked as a warframe_-"

And yet he was here, not a warframe but an energon miner. After a while of trying to clear the rubble, they both stopped and took a break.

'_Maybe __the__ textbooks recorded history inaccurately, after all, it would be __impossible__ to know Megatron __background__ that deeply.'_

There was an awkward silence between them both as they both sat on the ground and ate their energon. Optimus was stuck in his thoughts and didn't feel like starting a conversation at all, anything he could have talked about might be used against him if he returns to his time.

If he ever gets back.

Optimus quickly shook off that thought and looked to Megatron who was staring off somewhere, probably in his thoughts too.

The silence was broken by Megatronus, who made eye contact with Optimus.

"What are you so scared of? I can tell you've been lying since I found you."

Megatronus was used to mechs deceiving him all the time and Optimus wasn't a convincing liar. The faceplate scratching, avoidant of optic contact, and the extended pauses between conversations was a giveaway for being suspicious.

_'__I can't lie anymore, __I__ have no __idea__ what __would__ happen if __I__ say anything __that'll__ mess up the future, being here is proof __enough__ that Megatron will attempt time travel when __I__ leave- if __I__ leave this era_...' Optimus processor was running rapidly on what to do in this situation while his spark gave him a feeling that he was going to be here for a long while.

'_I give up.'_

He sighed  
" ...It sounds crazy and you won't believe me but I came from the future and I don't know how to go back."  
Optimus prepared to be laughed at.

"I believe you."

"You do?" Optimus was taken aback.

Megatronus gave a soft chuckle.

"Well first you don't look like any type of cybertronian I've seen before, same goes for your axe too, and sorry about this-"

He pulled out Optimus datapad from his subspace. The data wasn't anything important, it just had a list of cost and damages they both did to Detroit that Optimus calculated.

"I had to check if you were from the Senate. Back on topic, I thought the date was a typo and the initials O.P doesn't exactly spell out Convoy."

Optimus let a sigh.  
"What do I say that won't mess up the timeline?"

"You don't have to tell me anything if you think something might go wrong, time travel does have serious consequences if anything changes.  
Megatron said.

"I didn't even ask to be here, I was just looking over the space bridge and suddenly I'm in an unfamiliar place and time...heh, it reminds me of a book I once read.'  
Prime laid down on the hard floor staring up to the ceiling.

Megatronus shifted a bit closer to him. "By any chance, is the book called Across Time?"

"...Yes, how did you know?" 

"It's one of my favourites." Megatronus let out a smile that Optimus can familiarly recognize as someone being eager to talk about their interest. 

Optimus then widened his optics in surprise.   
"Oh, it's mines too."

"Then you must know about that scene from the book."

"The scene where all of the travelers sat together and talked when they finally reunited with their friend after millions of stellar cycles?"

"I see that part was as impacting to you too."

Both of them irradiated an excited hum of energy that they were both holding back. They had a feeling of great joy meeting a book fanatic.

'_The scene where the drone contemplates on the existence of his sentience, Primus, and if __an__ otherworldly power caused all of them_ _to__ be time travelers.__'_

"You think I'm here because of a greater power has chosen me to be here?"

"Perhaps. I can't think of anything else that can send a mech through time."

Optimus thought back to the allspark shard.

"Actually, I think you might be correct."

Optimus never expected them both to bond over their favourite book, or multiple others they had huge discussions about characters, symbolism, and philosophy. It brought him back to his book-obsessed days before he started devoting his time to the Autobot academy to become an elite guard. He also questioned how such a decent bot like Megatronus becomes the future warlord he knows.

Eventually, Megatronus and Optimus were about to enter recharge since the long conversations they had about how the symbolism of the Petro rabbit was important to Hare's character in the second to last novel tired them out. Somehow in only a solar cycle, they both grew a quick and close bond.

"Hey, Megatronus?"

"Yes?" He said sleepily.

"My name is Orion Pax." It wasn't exactly his current name but it was still his, and in his tired state of mind he felt like Megatronus should know.

"That's a pretty name, it fits you."  
Megatronus said before immediately going into recharge. If Optimus wasn't as tired as he was, he would have blushed and be flustered all night.

________

Optimus jolted himself awake and found himself laying right next to Megatronus, who's still in recharge.   
In his dazed thoughts, prime remembered what the giant mech said to him.

_"_ _That's_ _ a pretty name, it fits you."_

Optimus was internally panicking.

_'I hope this is not going_ _where_ _I_ _ think it's going. Why me? This is going _ _to_ _ ruin the timeline!'_

He didn't dislike that Megatronus showed interest in him, but considering what might happen in the future scared him.

Megatronus woke up from recharge and turning his head to see Optimus awake before he was, he smiled at him which cause Optimus spark to jump in a strange way.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long Orion."

"...Don't worry, I was only up for a nanoklik before you."

They went back to their now usual routine of clearing out the caved in rocks, consuming raw Energon, and conversing.

"So, are you used to these cave-ins Megatron-nus?" Optimus wasn't quite used to the old name of Megatron yet.

"I've become quite used to it, it's the ninth time I've been in one of these."

Megatronus voice grew dull.

"-But this is the first time I had someone with me. Working in the mines has low survival rates and yet I've been through situations that should have killed me." 

Optimus didn't say anything but silently he related to him with the feeling of survivors guilt with Megatronus. There was another tacit feeling that Optimus felt and thought with Megatronus, how unfair these living conditions were and how Megatronus was getting used to death. 

Again, they were tired and laid on the ground floor after clearing more rubble. There wasn't much else for Optimus to do other than stare at the ceiling, throw rocks somewhere, and converse with Megatronus.

"So what about you? Do cybertronians still get stuck in caves in the future?" Megatronus asked jokingly.

"Well not if they go out looking for danger." He thought back to the organic planet with the spiders, caved in presumed dead Elita-

Megatronus servos waving in front of him snapped him out of incipient sad thoughts.

"...It's was my first time being in a caving accident, and what happened afterward still haunts me."

"Tell me about it. Keeping whatever you have inside your mind is going to fry your processor." Megatronus was genuinely concerned for Orion, he caught him spacing off while venting quickly too many times.

Megatronus in the future already knew that he was a wash-out, telling this story won't change anything.

"It started when one of my former comrades suggested a way to boost our rankings-"

Optimus recalled the whole story with details being left off, such as Sentinal and Elita names, Decepticons warship, but everything else remained intact. As he told his story, there was a small pain in his spark that sank lower and lower. He was used to this feeling but this time it was teetering over an edge he didn't want to go over.

"Now my two friends hate me and I know I deserved it. I have just been having this guilt in my spark, I knew I should have done something different back then -I really wasn't meant for this-It's all my fault."

Tears started leaking out of his optics. Optimus started wiping at it, hoping it'll stop. But Optimus had been holding it in for many stellar cycles already, all of his anger, sadness, and guilt.

_'Plea_s_e, n__ot __in front_ _of him. I don't need Megatron to know any weak spots.'_

"Orion?"

Optimus never cried in a long time, ever since he went into elite guard training he held his old Orion pax self behind. Optimus always had to be steady minded, calm, and confident.   
He always wondered why he didn't cry when he lost Elita, Sentinal, and his elite guard training. Orion would have been completely broken, how did he hold it back all of these times?

_'Out of all times, why now? Why with him?'_

_"_Sorry, I'm not usually like this." He covered his face with his servos. 

Suddenly he felt Megatron hug him. Optimus looked up to see Megatronus gentle and kind expression, "It's not your fault, you did all that you could do." although that phrase was simple, Optimus felt relieved. All those cycles of only hearing, feeling, and knowing how much of a mess up he was, someone telling him that he tried his best gave him comfort. He leaned in closer to Megatronus and let all of his tears run and be wiped away by him.

Optimus fell asleep in Megatronus embrace. It was his first time in a long while that he was able to sleep well.

________

When Optimus woke up, he was face to face with a Megatronus in recharge. He held back his initial scared reaction but not the feeling of his face blushing an intense colour.

_Did I cry myself to sleep? Was I that tired_ _?_

Optimus squirmed a bit out of Megatronus grasp around him slowly without disturbing his sleep. As soon as he made progress in slipping out, the grip on Optimus became tighter as he made a small choking noise. Megatronus snuggled him closer to his spark chamber unconsciously.

Optimus was debating whether to struggle out more, wake him up, or stay right where he was because in all honesty, Optimus was quite comfortable. Something about being hugged by someone larger than him was nice, he never been this physically close to someone before unless it was a fight or battle. Cybertronians weren't a touchy type.

"You're an early waker, aren't you?"

Optimus looked up to Megatronus smiling face. He suddenly felt the shame of crying yesterday rush back.

"I'm sorry for the whole breakdown yesterday."

"You shouldn't be sorry, you have been keeping that inside you for a long time, haven't you?"

"Yeah... thanks for listening to my story." He said quietly.

Suddenly Optimus took notice of their body positions."So uh Megatronus, do you usually hug mechs like this normally?"

"No."

Optimus whole face blushing got a small grin that held back a laugh from Megatronus. Soon they continued digging their way out of the seemingly endless cave.

"How long do you think we'll have until we get out of this cave?"  
Optimus asked.

"An orbital cycle or more if we get unlucky."

"It must have been hard being alone and trying to dig out of here."

"That's not any different from when I do get back to work."

Optimus stopped drilling and Megatronus too.

"Curious to hear my story too, Orion?"

"I've been wondering that since I got here." Optimus immediately sat down and had the optics and audials open like a curious young student listening to a mentor they looked up to. Megatronus held back the voice in his intake that said _"...How are you so cute?"_

"Remember when I said I've been in situations where I was supposed to die? I survived enough accidents for my coworkers to consider me a magnet of death. They think I'm some sort of harbinger of destruction and evil. No one ever gets near me, when they do I hear them say a silent prayer to Primus. No matter what situation I am in I am always alone. Well, until I met you."

Harbinger of destruction and evil brought back memories of Optimus facing against him in battle. But Megatronus seems like such a nice person, what happened? Why were the other miners so cruel to him?

"You're not an evil person, why would they treat you so badly? You've been the nicest mech I've ever met." 

'_You're__ not an evil person __yet.__' _a small voice said inside his mind.

_'Out of all __Cybertronians_ _I've met in my life, why have you been the only one I feel so close to?' _another voice said.

Optimus only friends he was personally close to was Sentinel and Elita. It turned out horribly. Ratchet, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Prowl, and Sari were people he cared about deeply as a leader and a friend but he never really opened up to them. He just had to be the strong figure in the team and reach out to them if he was ever out of the loop. 

"I don't think someone ever said that to me before. Thank you Orion."   
Megatronus smiled at him. No one had ever cared about the miners and lower caste cybertronians, no one had ever cared about him. It warmed his spark to hear an honest compliment.

They were both lonely people. Back when Optimus was called Orion pax, he spent all of his days in the library and read stories and datapads. He was often pushed around by stronger people. Orion would help others who were victims of bullying but still, he was alone. Orion had to do all the work to befriend other cybertronians and none did the same effort to become friends with him. It drained him sometimes.

Megatronus was born with no name and a sense that he was only made for a single purpose. He knew what he was worth in the society he lived in. He met people who deceive for power and mechs who treats led him like a weapon or a tool. It was hard seeing how others looked at him like he was nothing or pretended not to even acknowledge his existence. It all felt so unfair to him.

Cycles after cycles they traded stories, philosophies, jokes, book reviews, and compliments. They grew so close that it was normal for Optimus to lay on Megatronus chest while they talked. Optimus assumed it was a friendship thing.

"You write poetry?" Optimus asked.

"Yes, but as a hobby. It's quite embarrassing."

"I like reading poetry, there's this one anonymous mech I'm a huge fan of."

"Who? I'm quite interested in what makes you like their poetry so much."

"It's been a long while since I read his works, his works don't come out around this period too. He also... writes romantic poems. Can't exactly remember what it said."

"Can't be that great if you can't remember." Megatronus teased Optimus.

"Hey! I never picked up a poetry book since I joined the academy, at least I remembered how it felt!"

________

"What would you do if there wasn't a caste system?" Optimus asked.

"A doctor of any sorts. I've seen many people suffer here in the mines, both mentally and physically. Mechs rusting and joints locking up, the looks in their empty optics, wishing they would die in their recharge. I wish to stop the suffering amongst the lower caste mechs." 

"What a noble cause." 

"If I could only change my programming. Then maybe I could do something about this."

Optimus suddenly heard Ultra Magnus's voice in his processor. Telling him how being a hero wasn't in his programming, feeling like a waste of space, being demoted while Sentinel became an elite guard, but all of those thoughts went back to when he saved the people in Detroit.

"I believe you can be anything you desire to be, as long as you keep up the work and hope in those dreams. Many told me I was not capable of being an elite guard and I ended up as a washout from that academy. Deep inside I still never gave up on that dream and I eventually I did things that the elite guards or I thought I wouldn't ever do. Programming means nothing! Megatronus, I know you can be a great mech and save lives!"

Later on, Optimus would feel very embarrassed by his whole inspirational speech ramblings but right now unbeknownst to him, Megatronus looked at him with his wide optics, full of admiration, disbelief that a Cybertronian like him existed, and was thought about their future together.

________

"Why did you want to be an elite guard in the first place?"

"I've always wanted to be a hero when I was little. I never liked the idea of people being taken advantaged of."

"Do you feel like a hero?"

"Not really, although the closest I felt to being one was when I nearly died. I think being a hero means you don't feel like one."

"I once heard that a being a hero is a lonely path. Orion, if you continue that path it'll be full of sacrifices."

"...I knew I'll have to make difficult choices, it's something I accepted."

________

Both Megatronus and Optimus were laughing at a joke, Megatronus was enchanted by the happiness that came from Optimus face. He had fallen in love the first day he saw the small mech and been falling deeper ever since. He wasn't sure when to say it, but right now because Megatronus is charmed by his Optimus laughter, the feeling in his spark was swelling up, and he only wanted to say one thing that was on his processor.

"Orion pax...I love you."

Both of their faces blushed and Optimus laying on top of Megatronus wasn't helping their flusterness, even though they usually do that. Optimus was filled with panic, he was expecting this but at the same time, he wasn't.

"But- but the timeline! Everything will change drastically! You don't know what this is going to do!" Optimus hasn't exactly given up on going back to his time, but he didn't mind if he was stuck with Megatronus. He was just scared of the feelings for him he had to leave behind if he went back to his time.

Megatronus held Optimus servos and intertwined them together which quieted Optimus freaking out about disastrous results.

"I don't care if you're from the future, I don't care if this changes the future. I just want to know if you love me too, I just want you with me right now." Megatronus confessed.

Optimus looked at Megatronus intense stare, full of worry, fear, and love. Optimus knew what his spark felt when both of them were talking about their favourite novels. It was a scary feeling and yet so joyous at the same time. The feeling grew so huge and the desire to be physically close was so strong. He didn't want to admit to himself that this was the mech he has been so close to within his life, but at this moment he just wanted to say what his spark felt.

"Megatronus...I love you too."

Optimus smiled at him, although it dropped when a small voice in his head came back to worry him again.

"But what if I have to go back? I don't want to leave you alone here."

Megatronus hugged Optimus and pulled him closer to his face. Megatronus saw the sad look that crossed his lover.

"I have you here right now and that all that matters to me."

Although they never said anything, both of them leaned in and pressed their lip plates together. Megatronus has never felt so much happiness at this moment, just feeling Optimus soft kisses and knowing somebody cares about him and loved him for who he was.

Optimus just wanted to stay by Megatronus side, he wished he could have been born in his time. Because of Megatronus, he understood the feeling of being loved, he understood what it felt like to be so personally close to someone he cared about. Optimus felt like he was still the naive and innocent Orion pax when he was with Megatronus.

After they parted their lips, they looked at each other with such happiness and admiration enough to make them both blush.

"I'm not sure you know how much I love you right now Orion, it's driving me insane."

Optimus giggled and leaned into his neck comfortably in a hug.

"Megatronus, I don't think you understand the extent of what I feel right now."

They continued to stay there in each other embrace and occasionally exchange kisses. A small part of Optimus had a guilty wish to not be found while the other is treasuring what he has right now, knowing that it won't last forever.

________

One day while Optimus and Megatronus were still mining, Optimus broke a rock that left a hole which revealed the outside of the mines. He peeked through the hole with his optics with excitement.

"Megatronus, I think I found a way out!"

Megatronus stood next to Optimus and shifted his arm into a drill. Megatronus punched through the wall with all of his strength, making a hole large enough for them both to get out of.

"Finally." Megatronus took a deep vent as drilling took most of his energy of out him. He took Optimus servos and they both walked out of the mines together. 

Optimus took a look at the abandoned mine shaft around them. Seems like every one of the workers was off shift and in recharge.

_'Who would have thought let _ _my_ _ return to Cybertron would end up like this?'_

He looked to the night sky. Seeing space from another breathtaking perspective like what he saw on Sumdac's tower and Iacon's libraries were always amazing to him. He saw other planets and many other tiny stars. He saw a familiar one. 

"Stargazing, Orion?" Megatronus asked.

Optimus pointed at the familiar constellation. 

"A friend told me that those stars make up a symbol that's called Orion's belt, another friend told me how there are constants everywhere. I guess it is true universally or time-wise."

"I'm not surprised your designation was based on stars, it fits you."

"How so?"

"Long-lasting, bright, beautiful, and radiant. What other positive things I can say about a star?"

Optimus giggled with his face heating up.

"Say anymore and I'll melt!"

Megatronus picked him up bridal style.

"You're my inspiration, Orion Pax."

And indeed he melted into his embrace.

"Megatronus, you make me feel like myself. Especially that part of myself I thought I gave up, only you had managed to return that."

If only they could stay that way.

Optimus and Megatronus were interrupted by an explosion in the sky. They looked up to see what seemed like a shooting star that was about to land in the distance.

"Prime? Prime!? Can you hear me!?"  
A familiar voice coms him over his what he thought was a useless communication device in this time.

"Ratchet?" Optimus was out of Megatronus arms and looked towards the landing star, which he fully recognize now as the allspark fragment.

"Thank Primus, we've been trying to get to you for a megacycle!"

"Ratchet... It's been a few orbital cycles for me."

"Wha-what's going on?"

Optimus turned to look at a sad Megatronus, who seemed to realize what the call meant.

"I'm going to be out of your listening range, I'll be back."

He walked forwards and began to tell about the whole situation, excluding the part where he and Megatronus confessed their love to each other. It seems like Optimus's fear was about to become true.

"Megatron? A nice mech? That's awfully hard to believe."

"And yet here I am. Back on topic, I believe that if I get that allspark fragment it'll help me get back. I'll update you when I retrieve it."

Optimus stood still for a while before walking with an increasing speed that turned into a run back to Megatronus and hugged him.

"I think I might be going back soon. Megatronus, please forgive me. I never wanted to leave you alone."

Megatronus hugged back tightly.

"Your time here has felt so short, but I'll treasure every moment of it. I knew what I was getting myself into when I said I loved you."

_'No Megatronus, you still don't know what we got ourselves into.'_  
The guilty voice spoke in Optimus head.

They both walked towards the recently crashed all spark fragment. They both had a conversation about the future while they tightly held each other servos without knowing.

"Will I ever see you again?"  
Megatronus said as Optimus reached out to grab the shard. Optimus knew that the future was messed up already at this point, why not?

"Yes, but after millions of stellar cycles."

The sadness in Megatronus face turned hopeful then determined. He kneeled to Optimus level and looked right into his optics.

"I'll find you. I will wait for those stellar cycles to see you again, I promise."

Optimus, although very flattered and flustered, the hurtful pang in his spark started to churn.

"No... don't find me, it's not worth it. It's better if we don't continue this relationship in the future."

"Why?" Megatronus had a hurt expression on his face.

Optimus looked at the ground and stayed silent for a while before saying, "Nobody will allow it in the future. I can't allow it and you won't allow it either."

"What? What do you mean? I-"  
Megatronus slightly frustrated voice was cut off by the all spark glowing. A space bridge opened behind Optimus, this time the portal wasn't sucking things inside. Optimus said in a low voice "it's time."

"There's a sight I thought I'd never see, Megatron actually looking friendly and kneeling to you."   
Ratchet said when he stepped out of the time bridge, tired and grumpy from fixing the bridge after being woken up.

Optimus stepped away from Megatronus.

"It's nice to see you again Ratchet. What took so long?"

"Space and time are different concepts, does it look like I'm a time bridge repair bot?!" Ratchet said in his usual grouchy voice. Ratchet also pointed a weapon to Megatronus, the emp generator. Megatronus flinched and stepped back a few steps in fear.

"I've also done some modifications to this, takes away orbital cycles worth of memories. Don't want him to find out about time travel." Ratchet was about to fire when Optimus shouted, "wait, stop!"

Ratchet stopped and looked at Optimus in confusion. Optimus took a deep vent of air before trying to explain.

"I've heard of what these miners go through and Megatron at least deserves an explanation before being blasted. It's more moral that way."

_'I want to say goodbye.' _Is what Optimus felt.

Optimus explanation was enough to convince the tired Ratchet to hand over his emp generator. Ratchet just wanted to go into recharge real bad.

"Just return it when you're done."

And he stepped into the time bridge.  
Optimus was left with the blaster in his servos, which felt unnaturally heavy. He turned to Megatronus.

"You're...not going to hit me with that?"

Optimus looked down and Megatronus optics widen with a sense of betrayal.

"Why do you want to make me forget! Am I not enough!?" Megatronus for the first time felt frustration towards Optimus. The fear of being alone was pushing him to an edge.

"I will wait for you for millions of stellar cycles! Just please don't let forget about you, where would I be without knowing you exist?! You give me hope Orion, don't leave me alone here..."

Megatronus angry outburst caused tears to form at the corners of his optics. Optimus spark sank. He had to say why they couldn't be together in the future.

"...Megatronus, in the future we are enemies. We will be at each other sparks, there's a faction split amongst cybertronians, and there have been times where you had nearly offline me." He said in his calmest voice.

"Orion... I'd never do that." The disbelief in Megatronus voice told him it was another reason not to shoot him.

"Megatronus, you are an entirely different mech in the future. This whole event wasn't supposed to happen in the first place but Megatronus, I am so glad to have met you. I love you so much, I'm so sorry to have caused you this grief."

As Optimus talked he kept on wiping away the tears that fell from Megatronus optics. Megatronus stayed quiet as he pulled a datapad from his subspace and handed over to Optimus.

"Read it when you get back." Was all he said before standing still, waiting for the shot. Megatronus looked dejected but still gave a sad smile, like he was saying he forgives him. Megatronus was weak for Optimus sad optics.

"Megatronus...I...I'll meet you on the other side."

His shaking servos raised the blaster and shot the mech in his helm. Megatronus fell over and hit the ground with his optics shut. Megatronus last thought was the promise to himself to remember Orion always, he'll forget his name but never the feeling he left him with.

When Megatronus would wake up, he would feel like his spark chamber had a hole in it. He felt empty. He didn't know what he lost but he wanted it back, he was missing something important.

________

Optimus went through the time bridge and there he was, back in Detroit like nothing ever happened. Like being in the Kaons mines was just a nice dream.

"Hey, bossbot is back!" Bumblebee shouted.

"Welcome back. I heard you met past Megatron, how was he like?" Prowl asked.

"Hope we didn't keep you waiting too long!" Bulkhead was monitoring the bridge settings. Optimus looked over and saw how tired everyone was. Ratchet was passed out on the ground while Sari was resting in her sleeping bag.

Optimus smiled.

"Great job guys, I think you all really a rest now though. I'll tell you guys what happened tomorrow."

Just in a few nanokliks everyone was already in recharge. Except for Optimus, he placed the allspark fragment where it was supposed to be before taking a night drive to take it all the events that happened. Eventually, he stopped at the warehouse and went to his berthroom.

He pulled out the datapad and opened to see a small message from Megatronus.

_"If I never met you, where would I be?_

_How would the days go by? Would I still value life?_

_I didn't know whether I would be able to hold such sweet love_. 

_No matter how much time flows on, I will only care about you."_

This would be the last time that Orion would cry. He curled up and missed the feeling of being held and kissed.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry for leaving you alone."

When Optimus woke up, he had already erased and suppressed his Orion pax self into a corner of his spark. It shouldn't take him long for him to get used to facing against Decepticons again, and by the time he fights current day Megatron, he would be fine. Megatronus is gone, just like Orion.

At least that's what he thought, Optimus gave in to his temptation and as soon as they had contact with Cybertron, he downloaded a copy of his favourite poetry book. It was an anthology of anonymous cybertronians who wrote out their emotions from happiness, grief, anger, and love. He flipped to his personal favourite poem that he hadn't read in many cycles, it was like he was experiencing reading the words for the first time again.

_"For long I've been searching for that feeling, that happiness it brings._

_I can't remember a thing about your name_  
_It brings me love and pain all the same._

_Call me by my name and I'll say yours._

_Somewhere out there, out in all those stars. Worlds apart, trying to see you on that other side. Awaiting a new _ _start_ _."_

Strange how it gave him another level of feelings now since he met Megatronus.   
________

"Whatcha looking at Optimus? you have been looking at the datapad for a long time." Sari asked. 

"Oh, well I decided to get back into reading. I haven't read anything fictional in a long time."

"Why did you stop in the first place?"

"The academy took a lot of my time up with textbooks. Also being known as the librarian wasn't exactly the most encouraging thing." 

_'even though I technically was one.' _

Sari took a while to connect the dots in her head, she made an audible gasp before blurting out,

"You were a nerd!"

Optimus stiffened up for a bit before he quickly released the tension and gave an awkward chuckle. "...yeah, I was."

"I always thought you bots would download information and stories right into your brains."

"That would be a wild ride. Imagine experiencing a story emotions all at once in only a minute, that would be overwhelming."

"It would." Sari agreed. Although she couldn't imagine what it would feel like, she thought it would be like seeing a try not to cry compilation right next to a try not to laugh one. What a weird feeling that would be.

________

"You have been acting different lately." Ratchet said.

"Is it because I'm reading more?" Optimus replied.

"Yes. But you also seem a bit more contemplative. What exactly happened while you were stuck in the past?"

Everyone in the room audials was open and suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Oh right, I haven't told everyone what happened yet. Megatron was a miner in Kaon, contrary to what the textbook said about him being a warframe gladiator. He was actually a pretty nice guy."

"that's pretty hard to believe, didn't he at least-I don't know, beat up or bully mechs?" Bumblebee inputted.

"He told me he stole datapads when he could. He liked reading books but couldn't since the functionalist didn't want anyone out of their functions. Made me think about how I'm taking my reading skills for granted."

"So, did he always plan to create the Decepticons? Any foundation of his personality to lead to the warlord he is today?" Prowl asked.

"Well, he does not like the functionalist government. But he wasn't a revolution sort of guy yet, he wanted to be a medic."

"That is ironic. Why and how would a mech like him end up taking so many lives in the war?" Bulkhead asked this time.

"That's where it got lost on me. They seem like two different people but they aren't."

"A lot of changes could happen in millions of stellar cycles. That what war does to a mech, or starting one." Ratchet said. 

Later Optimus was sitting in his berthroom, reading another book before he went into recharge. Ratchet gave a knock before coming in and he looked up from his book.

"Is something the matter?" Optimus asked.

"Now, I was absolutely tired when I went through that time-space bridge, but I saw the way young Megatron looked at you. Were you two just friends?" Ratchet knew the feeling of love and loss too well on Megatronus face when he saw him.

"I'm not going to defect to the Decepticons if that's what you're worried about."

"That wasn't my question. I know you're not dumb enough to do that."

"... we confessed to each other, nothing went further than that."

"that's pretty dumb." He said with an unsurprised straight face. 

Optimus sighed. "I'm glad you brought along the emp though, would have saved me from a messed up timeline and an awkward reunion."

Optimus then put his servos in his face in embarrassment. "Why in the world did I confess back?"

Ratchet gave him comforting pat on the back. 

"Don't beat yourself over it too much. You are still going through a breakup...over a guy who ruined a bunch of lives, including mines. But doesn't mean you gotta keep it to yourself and feel guilty about it, because it makes it feel worse. What happened, happened."

Optimus chuckled. "Heh, thanks. I kinda needed that."

"Just know you're not alone sometimes Optimus. Take your time to get used to being in Detroit again, don't gotta rush in fast. "

Ratchet felt bad for Optimus, although he could have not done anything to help, being in a cave in for months on end with knowing if he can ever get back is terrifying and if that Megatron was as nice as he heard he doesn't blame Optimus for getting together. They were both naive, dumb and young. Optimus could just hide some of those parts better since he was their leader and had to mature into that role. Being with young Megatron probably broken down that hardened exterior of his.

________

"You caused me a lot of troubles already, can't you give me a break for once?"

Optimus said out loud as he was staring at the night sky and the all spark shard that shot across it. He was on night patrol and drove towards where the all spark crashed. He had a strange premonition of what might happen next. 

"Did it really have to be outside of a cave entrance?" he said in annoyance as he was about to pick up the Allspark fragment.

_'What is it going to be this time? Future? alternate dimension? or- '_

He dodged a blaster shot, turned around, and put on his battle mask. Optimus got used to Megatronus sneaking up behind him and scaring him for fun to a point of knowing the feeling of someone behind him. His optics widened when he saw Megatron with the fusion cannon pointed at him.

Optimus had two thoughts when he saw Megatron:

_'Remember, he is not Megatronus'_

and

_'Megatron never goes out to retrieve fragments, why aren't Lugnut or Blitzwing here?'_

"Give me the Allspark, Autobot." Megatron spoke, breaking his slight train of thought.

Optimus was slightly relieved to know that the emp generator worked for those many cycles. On the other hand, he was also freaked out since the cleanest escape from Megatron would be escaping inside the cave. Optimus didn't correct Megatron on what his name was this time. Instead, he transformed and drove inside the cave. 

He got himself away from Megatron as far as possible but also got himself lost at the same time. Optimus felt a pull from inside his subspace, it was the Allspark he was hiding, leading him somewhere. He didn't trust it but where else could he go at this rate.

To a dead end. Great.  
The Allspark suddenly pulled backward and Optimus turned his head to see Megatron headed in his direction.

_'This is __the__ last time __I'm__trusting__the__ allspark!_'

Megatron smirked.

"Lost, how unfortunate for you."

"Wouldn't the same be applied to you in this situation, Megatron?"

Optimus snapped back as he backed up into the cave walls. He just had to act normal, the usual thing he did before he met Megatronus.

"I know cave systems well. Now then, where did you hide the Allspark?"  
Optimus looked for places to escape to. Megatron took notice and grabbed Optimus by his waist.

"why don't you tell your lackeys to get them for you? What is making you do field missions?" Optimus asked.

Optimus got slammed in the wall. 

"That is none of your concern." Megatron said in an annoyed voice.

Megatron opened up his radar and analyzed how the device said the Allspark was right in front of him.

"Unless you prefer for your subspace to get ripped out, you better open it up autobot."

Optimus didn't want the datapads he kept with him to get damaged so he complied with his order. His life also wasn't worth it for the allspark, considering all the stress it caused him lately.

Megatron gave an amused chuckle when he saw the number of datapads in Optimus subspace. Optimus was blushing underneath his battle mask.

_'Just hurry up and take the shard already!'_

"Wait, what are you doing?!"  
Megatron grinned as he took one of those datapads out of curiousity, it was one of the two that was turned on and was underneath the allspark.

Megatron grin faded when he read the contents.

"Hadron's poetry, how childish, amateurish and saccharine." He said as he scoffed.

"Shut up! who told you to go through my datapads anyways?!" Optimus doesn't take kindly to cybertronians attacking his taste in books or poetry.

Megatron pulled out another datapad, along with the allspark with it. Optimus recognized which datapad that was and started struggling intensely to no avail.

Optimus screamed.  
"Stop! Don't read that datapad! Megatronus!"

Optimus realized who name he just shouted. Megatron grip on him grew tighter and his optics narrowed down on him.

"How do you know that name?" Optimus looked away. He said nothing. Megatron slammed Optimus against the wall again. The allspark dropped on the ground.

"...Don't read that datapad." Optimus weakly said. Optimus was also abruptly dropped and he looked up to see Megatron holding his datapad in both of his servos, the datapad with Megatronus last message to Orion. His gaze reading every word on that datapad with an increasing amount of intensity. His servos were trembling.

"I wrote this...but to who?- why did I write- I can't remember-when- the message-" Megatron mumbled all of the questions he wanted the answers to himself, forgetting that Optimus was there.

Optimus noticed how the allspark started shining again, this time the glow turned blinding. Like a bolt of lightning, it struck out a beam that hit Optimus and Megatron.

Flashes of memories with Megatronus filled his mind all at once. All of the laughter, crying, smiles, kindness, fear, and the love he felt pulled his spark at every angle. His processor was overfilled with a sensation that wanted to make him scream. It was too much.

Suddenly it all stopped and he was in the same position as he was before, except tears were falling down his optics. His internal clock system told him only a minute went by. Optimus saw Megatron passed out in front of him.

_'He's going to remember everything when he wakes up. What do _ _I_ _ do?"_

Optimus didn't know how to feel. Should he be happy or sad now that he remembers now? Will Megatron still love him? Will Megatron kill him after knowing?

Fear rose in Optimus spark when Megatron groaned and stirred awake. His pede took a step backward and he burst into a sprint away from Megatron. 

Before he could get far, Optimus was pinned to the ground and was flipped around by Megatron servos, so he could see Optimus face.

"You don't get to get away this time, I won't allow it...Orion."

"Megatron you-"

Megatron used one of his servos and traced the outline of Optimus battle mask before punching the ground right next to Optimus face.

"All of those millions of stellar cycles and it was you the entire time. Did you know how much you drove me insane? knowing something was missing and I had no clue who or what it was?! And it was you who seduced my naive and hopeless romantic self!" Megatron was still trying to recover mentally from all of the lost memories he has and his processor was all over the place. Optimus didn't know that however.

Optimus couldn't look Megatron in his eyes. Optimus was shaking from fear, was he about to die? Did Megatronus hate him? Was seducing is what Megatron thought their relationship was?

"...Put away your battle mask and look at me."

Optimus revealed the rest of his face to Megatron and they both made eye contact. Megatron softly stroked Optimus lips with his thumb. 

"Do you still love me?" Megatron asked. At that moment, Optimus felt a silent emotion coming from Megatron chassis that screamed: "Love me!" over and over again. He also noticed the desperation in those optics.

"I do-"

Optimus got suddenly cut off when Megatron pressed their lips together aggressively and savoured the feeling of Optimus soft and plush kisses. Optimus kissed back as they made out. They were both touch-starved, Megatron being the most starved and it shows due to his fierce affections showing when their lips touched. 

"I missed you so much-" He said as they took a short break from their kiss.

"-I won't let you go" their servos intertwined.

"-Never leave me again." Megatron was continually getting more possessive with his lips. This time Optimus said something when take took another break.

"Megatron, I love you." They both stopped and saw the affection in each other gaze while both of them were breathing in and out quickly. Megatron hugged Optimus tightly. Megatron leaned into Optimus neck. He has been waiting to find this feeling for so long, the soft feeling of his lover embracing him. 

"It's been millions of stellar cycles for me but only a few megacycles for you. How life is unfair to me."

Megatron and Optimus found their way in their usual positions of Optimus laying over Megatron chest. Except for this time, Optimus noticed how it was slightly larger then what he remembered.

"How do you still love me even after all those cycles? even now knowing who I actually am?" Optimus asked.

"I don't think you understand how much of an impact you made on me Orion, or should I say Optimus?"

"So you do remember my name." Optimus smiled.

"Somehow I never forgot your name back then when I didn't get my memories back, even if I wanted too."

A question popped up in Optimus processor.

"...why do you think the Allspark cause all of this to happen in the first place? All this time it's been leading me everywhere and it always ends up with you there. It even repaired your memory."

Megatron took a moment to reflect on Optimus question.

"Do you recall that conversation we had over the book Across time? about the drone."

Optimus knew what he was talking about and was stunned by what the implications meant. 

"...This means that...the Allspark is the otherworldly force that wants us to be together." Optimus felt weird knowing that this was probably a set up by Primus.

"Fate brought us together. I know the time-traveling wasn't an accident, that this was all planned since the beginning."

"What do you mean?" Optimus asked.

"Your favourite poet."

Optimus let out a small _hmph_, before saying, "I Don't know what he has to do with this but I can't believe that you don't like Hadron's poetry." He still wasn't over being criticized by Megatron. Megatron snickered before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"What's so funny?!" 

_'I love you so much.' _Megatron thought. Eventually, he settled down and finally told Optimus the reason behind his laughter.

"I once went under a pen name when I was filled with an unknown inspiration when you left, so I submitted my poems to a contest and many my poetries made it in."

Optimus optics widened in realization.

"Hadron is my pen name. I can't believe you liked all of my young amateur writings."

Megatron was greatly entertained by the shocked, pouty and embarrassed face of Optimus.

"...It doesn't change my mind about anything." Megatron chuckled at his grumbly response.

"I'll write better ones for you, although I'm glad my poetry found its way to you in the end. You are the person who I was writing to in my works and are always my inspiration."

Optimus blushed.

"All this time, I've always came back and read your poetry in many points in my life. When I was a librarian, I read your works and I thought to myself _' _this is what love might feel like'I've wanted to know who might this anonymous cybertronian was and it was you. And you were also the one who I first felt love for when I met you in the mines." 

Optimus servos was lifted up by Megatron and was softly kissed by him.

"When we leave this place, what is going to happen?" Optimus asked. The question breaking the atmosphere and letting reality in.

"Join me, Optimus. You'll be treated much better than how the autobots completely tossed you out."

"...I can't just leave my team. I'm still an autobot, it's just that some others don't exactly wear that name to what it means."

"Then we'll make it work. We have more things in common than you'll realize. You're too good of a mech to let go, I was afraid you wouldn't want to recognize me as your lover even though I've changed."

"I thought you were going to kill me when you gained your memories back. That's why I ran, I was afraid of you not loving me anymore."

"I'd never do that Optimus, now that I have my memories back."

________

When they would eventually leave the cave, both of them would have to part ways again but only temporarily. As Optimus left he took a look back and expected to see Megatron back in the distance walking his own way but saw Megatron looking back at him too. They both chuckled.

"I'll see you tomorrow Megatron." Optimus smiled.

"Make sure you don't disappear on me again. I've been patient for far too long." Megatron smiled back. 

Optimus rode all the way home with the allspark, he wasn't sure why but he felt like it was at rest. Like it's finished its job for now. He couldn't of help but wonder why the allspark kept on connecting them together, was there a message? what was it trying to say?

________

Megatron didn't write it down yet, he would later if he had more privacy but the words were in his head vividly. It was rough and not fully refined yet but it was enough.

_"Tomorrow when I see you,_

_A better tomorrow with you._

_Tomorrow will go by_

_Finally seeing the stars align across our times_

_These emotions root me down to my very core._

_Everlasting spark, I am yours."_


End file.
